Carl Pratt – Riding the Waves, Beaches Brewing

Carl Pratt – Riding the Waves, Beaches Brewing

Not every brewery closure is a eulogy. Sometimes it's just a brief intermission... but rarely.  Troy sits down with Carl Pratt, Co-Founder and brewer behind Beaches Brewing Co, the brewery that spent over a decade as a fixture on Queen Street East in Toronto's Beach neighbourhood. Carl's an accidental brewer - a self-described map nerd who traded a GIS career for weekend homebrew batches, then talked himself into opening a brick-and-mortar brewery just months before COVID hit. For years, he ran nearly every role himself: brewer, GM, and everything in between.  In December 2025, after watching the numbers for over a year, Carl made the call to close the doors for good and wrote a heartfelt, unfiltered public letter to the community explaining why - one that got the craft beer world talking. But the story didn't end there: months later, Beaches Brewing reopened under a new ownership group with a new menu, a new look, and Carl still behind the kettle, brewing every batch.  What's in this episode: * Carl's path from a Mississauga map nerd to a homebrewer building Beaches Brewing from scratch * Contract brewing, chasing the LCBO, and the reality of running every role solo for years * Opening weeks before COVID, a landlord lockout, and the toll of doing every job at once * The December 2025 closure and the “Peace Out Homies” letter that had the industry talking * What the letter really meant to those that read it * Beaches Brewing's rebirth: new ownership, a French-Indian-Southeast Asian menu, and a whole new look Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer [http://instagram.com/greatlakesbeer] on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] Supporting local never tasted soooo good! Hosted by Troy Burtch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burtch/], Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Erica McOustra, Perfecting Pilsner

In a province obsessed with what's new, Erica McOustra has spent her career perfecting what already exists - and that's a much harder job than it sounds. Troy sits down with Erica McOustra, Brewmaster at Steam Whistle Brewing - the first woman to hold that title in the brewery's history. A Danforth kid who left university after first year, fell into homebrewing to save money, and never looked back. From a brew-on-premise shop to Magnotta Brewery, VLB Berlin, Amsterdam Brewing, and finally Steam Whistle in 2010 - where she worked her way from shift brewer to Brewmaster over a decade. In 2022, when Steam Whistle acquired Beau's All Natural Brewing, her role grew again: she now oversees brewing for both iconic brands, two very different philosophies under one roof. What's in this episode: * How a homebrewer became one of Canada's most respected Brewmasters  * The philosophy of doing one thing brilliantly, and why chasing 0.1% better every day is anything but boring * Being the first female Brewmaster at Steam Whistle * The Beau's acquisition: stewarding a beloved brand * When data and your palate disagree - which one wins? * Rapid Fire: Godspeed, New Glarus, and why one shortcut gives everyone else on the floor license to take one

Andrew Oland, Mr. Moosehead

Most people in the beer business talk about legacy. Andrew Oland actually carries it. As the sixth-generation President and CEO of Moosehead Breweries [https://moosehead.ca/] - Canada's last major brewery still owned by Canadians - Andrew is the great-great-great-grandson of Susannah Oland, who started brewing on a family farm in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia in 1867, the same year Canada became a nation. Six generations, 158 years, two world wars, the Halifax Explosion, Prohibition, devastating fires, a cross-province relocation, and more offers to sell than most people will ever know about. The answer has always been the same: not for sale.  Troy [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burtch/]sits down with Andrew for a conversation about what it really means to steward something worth protecting. From growing up in the Oland household and working a Halifax shipyard before ever setting foot in the family business, to a Harvard MBA cold call that eventually landed Moosehead the Boston Beer import partnership in Canada - Andrew's path to the presidency was anything but a straight line. They get into the big decisions made on his watch: ditching bottles entirely for cans, the maple leaf tabs now quietly appearing on every Moosehead in the country, and the viral Presidential Pack that had Canada talking. And they go deeper - on the Ontario convenience store scramble that had Moosehead hiring 18 people in six weeks, the tax reality that makes beer far too expensive across this country, and what succession planning looks like when you're thinking in generations, not quarters.  What's in this episode:  * The Oland family origin story - Susannah, the Halifax Explosion, the move to Saint John, and how the brand got its name  * Working outside the business first, the road to the presidency, and the four-minute meeting that changed everything  * Bottles to cans - what the data showed and what Andrew says to the fans still mourning the green bottle  * Beer tax, industry unity, and what it will actually take to move government  * The Mascot Brewery acquisition in Vaughan and what's next for Moosehead in Ontario   Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer [http://instagram.com/greatlakesbeer] on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burtch/], Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Matt Tompkins & Adam Shier, True History Brewing

Some places earn their reputation one pint at a time, and True History Brewing on St. Clair West (Toronto) is exactly that kind of place. Co-founders Matt Tompkins and Adam Shier have quietly built one of the most singular brewery experiences in the city - rooted in German and Czech lager tradition, housed in a soaring former 1920s cinema and designed around one simple idea: make you want to stay for the “whole shift.” No gimmicks, no province-wide retail push. Just beautifully made pilsners, Helles, and lagers, and a space worth settling into.  In this one, Troy sits down with Matt and Adam for their first in-person meeting and gets into the full story - from high school friends to contract brewing at Junction Brewery, to building a taproom they designed themselves, wallpaper and all. They cover their lager philosophy, the glassware obsession, the evolution of their kitchen, and their honest take on what it actually takes to build something genuinely special in this city.   What's in this episode:  * How Matt went from film to beer via a Belgian brewing documentary, and how Adam quit private equity to home brew "Breaking Bad style"  * The contract brewing years at Junction Craft — what worked, what didn't, and why they eventually had to find their own space  * Finding the St. Clair West location, the hidden 20-foot ceiling discovery, and designing the space themselves  * Why Germany changed everything for Adam and how that shaped True History's identity  * Their lager philosophy — the diversity of styles, the obsession with quality, and why they think there's more variation in lager than IPA  * The glassware program and why they're not changing it anytime soon  * Handing off the kitchen and what Beisel's Viennese bistro food program has become  * Their candid take on the LCBO, expansion, and what's next for True History   Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer [http://instagram.com/greatlakesbeer] on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] Supporting local never tasted soooo good!   Hosted by Troy Burtch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burtch/], Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.

Tash Sundup, Bryden’s on Bloor

Tash Sundup has been quietly running one of Toronto's best craft beer pubs for over 25 years, and nobody's ever really told his story. The visor-wearing, sandal-loving, pug-admiring owner of Bryden's on Bloor sits down with Troy to talk about how a philosophy major from York University accidentally became one of the most respected licensees in Ontario's craft beer community.   From macro taps and Moosehead-loyal regulars to 17 taps of rotating Ontario craft, Tash walks us through what it takes to build a true neighbourhood third place. They dig into managing beer reps, the craft beer transition from the licensee side, the infamous Saloon League road rash incident, the decor and vibe at the pub, and why GLB Premium Lager will always be "Horseshoe" at Bryden's.  What's in this episode:  * How a retired fireman convinced Tash to take over the pub  * The craft pivot: from Keith's, Coors, and Stella to 17 taps of local Ontario craft  * Tap selection philosophy, rep management, and why Guinness had to go  * What a couch meant to some regulars  * The importance of regulars and creating a place where people want to go  * Shared history with GLB: Lackey, industry holiday parties, and a lot of Sunnyside  Thank you for tuning into the #BetweenTwoFermenters podcast. Please take a moment to give us a rating and review on whichever platform you get your podcasts at and be sure to follow GreatLakesBeer [http://instagram.com/greatlakesbeer] on all social channels. greatlakesbeer.com. [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] Supporting local never tasted soooo good! Hosted by Troy Burtch [https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-burtch/], Between Two Fermenters, a podcast brought to you by Toronto's Great Lakes Brewery [http://greatlakesbeer.com/] where craft beer and conversation collide - straight from the tanks to your ears.